LIBR 282-04
LIBR 282-14
Seminar in Library Management
Topic: Leadership
Fall 2011 Syllabus 

Dr. Ken Haycock
E-mail
Cell: 778.689.5938
Office Hours: E-mail; Virtually By Appointment.

D2L Information: This course will be available beginning August 24, 2011. You will be enrolled into the site automatically. I will send more information about course access as we approach this date through MySJSU.

Course Description

An examination of the connections between theory and best practices in leadership development and leader effectiveness. Topics include the research bases for theories of leadership, leadership styles, self-awareness, visioning, influencing, enabling other to act, team development, governance as leadership, and developing self-confidence.

Course Prerequisites: LIBR 200, 204 required.

Course Objectives

Student Learning Outcomes
At the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• analyze the range and complexity of leadership theories and styles (assignments: required readings; weekly discussions; personal leadership development plan);
• apply research-based best practices to significant areas of leadership responsibility (assignments: required readings; weekly discussions; synthesis of literature) ;
• assess the extent of implementation of best practices by exemplary library leaders (assignments: required readings; weekly discussions; case interviews);
• develop a personal growth plan for continued leadership development (assignments: required readings; weekly discussions; personal leadership development plan).

LIBR 282 supports the following MLIS Core Competencies:

• apply the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy;
• understand the nature of research, research methods and research findings; retrieve, evaluate and synthesize scholarly and professional literature for informed decision-making by specific client groups;
• demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations.

Top of Page

Course Requirements

Course Format
The course is based on the following principles of learning:

• learning requires the active participation of the student;
• people learn in a variety of ways and at different rates;
• learning is both an individual and a group process.

Consequently, a variety of strategies are used and group and individual responsibility are incorporated.

Course Assignments

1. Read the first two of the four required texts, one in each of the first two weeks of the class.
   
   Post to the discussion board your three salient leadership points to remember from each, your three areas that need further investigation and development, and how you will do this, and any areas that you believe were not substantiated by evidence.
   
   Please add commentary to least one other student’s posting. Give careful attention to the proviso on student comments noted below.
   
   (Chemers due by August 28; Kouzes and Posner due by September 04; initial comments due by September 11: 15% of Grade)
2. Read one recommended title from each of the two required areas (Leadership and Library Leadership). We will negotiate a different text for each member of the class, to the extent possible.
   
   Post to the discussion board a four-page double spaced abstract comprising a three-page summary of the content (an abstract means that one need not consult the work to get the main points) and a one-page practical application of the theory and concepts covered, together with your assessment of the work.
   
   Read each summary provided by your colleagues and provide a substantive comment on at least one title from each category.
   
   (General leadership title due September 11; Library leadership title due by September 18; initial comments due by September 25: 15% of Grade)
   
   
3. Prepare a personal leadership development plan. Your assessment of your strengths and areas for development will draw on self-assessment tools such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (if you have completed it), StrengthsFinder (incorporated in one of the required texts), prior work- and volunteer-based performance appraisals and other assessments (including self-assessment) you deem useful and appropriate. Be sure to complete and incorporate the required texts Learning to lead; A workbook on becoming a leader by Bennis and Goldsmith and Strengths-based leadership: Great leaders, teams, and why people follow by Rath and Conchie.
   
   Your resulting action plan will include a career path and a minimum of three action areas with specific, measurable, action-oriented, relevant and timed objectives. Note that this is a significant portion of the course grade so this must be substantive, reflective and based in course material. A rubric will be provided as we will not assess the content as much as the process and deliberation.
   
   The plan will be reviewed and graded by an arms-length specialist, Dr. Brooke Sheldon, who will advise you on the process. (There is a scheduled voluntary Elluminate session with Dr. Sheldon for October 02, 12-2 p.m. Pacific time.) The plan will not be seen by other students or by the instructor, unless you specifically make this request (you may also appeal your grade to the instructor). This is to allow you to be forthright and honest and develop something genuinely useful to you.
   
   (Due November 27: 25% of Grade)
   
   
4. You have been requested to prepare a 15-page synthesis of the business literature and research in a key area of leadership as background reading for a leadership development course by municipal managers. Each student should choose a different topic and have it approved by the instructor; examples include: self-awareness; management vs. leadership; relationship building; self-confidence; change management; coaching; influencing; leadership development; risk-taking; strategic thinking; servant leadership; governance as leadership; leadership styles; teams; visioning. (note that these are only example.)
   
   Negotiate and inform the instructor by September 25. As you undertake your research, post relevant ideas from your readings during the weekly discussions. You will also post a one-page summary of the main points for discussion at the end of the course. A second member of the cohort will review your final paper prior to submission for suggestions for improvement. Each of you will receive the same grade (constituting 15% of the final grade for the author and 5% of the grade for the second reader). 
   
   (Due December 11: 20% of Grade)
   
   
5. Using predetermined semi-structured questions, which will be adapted from Bennis and Sheldon and provided to you, interview a minimum of two directors/chief executive officers of public libraries whom you consider to be exemplary leaders. Submit the transcripts with an analysis of any commonalities or emerging leadership themes to the instructor. A consent form will be provided. (Due: December 18: 10% of Grade)

Weekly Discussions
You will be required to make a minimum of one contribution during each weekly discussion and a minimum of one comment on the contributions of your colleagues each week during the course. These latter comments must be analytical or evaluative as, for example, querying an opinion, requesting further evidence, or expanding on the content provided. Insofar as writing is “thinking made visible”, cheerleading comments such as “good job!” or “interesting idea!” represent limited analytical ability and are insufficient for graduate work. Correct grammar and spelling reflective of business writing is expected in every case.

You are also required to respond to comments made on your work and postings as appropriate (for example, when a question is asked of you or a source requested). This will often be done by the instructor.

Course Calendar
Subject to change with fair notice.

Note that Elluminate sessions are voluntary. Also, if these dates/times are problematic they can be changed with unanimous consent and/or another session added.

Each week is based on readings from the required texts supplemented by lectures and other materials.

Course Grading

• Weekly Discussions/Quality of Postings/Presence: Throughout the Course (15%)
• Assignment 1. Summary of Required Texts: Completed by September 04 (15%)
• Assignment 2. Summary of Recommended Texts: Completed by September 18 (15%)
• Assignment 3. Personal Development Plan: Completed by November 27 (25%)
• Assignment 4. Synthesis of Research: Completed by December 11 (20%)
• Assignment 5. Interviews with Leaders: Completed by December 18 (10%)

Late Assignments
Each assignment is required by the due date. Late assignments will not be accepted without prior approval as successive work and participation is contingent on their completion.

Written & Spoken English Requirement
Written and spoken work will meet standards for graduate level performance or may result in a lower mark if it is, in the opinion of the instructor, deficient in English.

Other Relevant Information

• Presence
  Regular presence is expected of students in all their classes (including presentations, electronic discussions, etc.). Please be present and on time for any synchronous class or inform the instructor in advance, as you would any supervisor in a workplace; as there is no final examination, lack of presence from two or more weekly discussions may make it
  difficult for you to succeed.
  
  
• Evaluation
  Evaluation is based on assignments; peer and instructor evaluations are included.
  
  Evaluation is an ongoing process. All completed work will be assessed for evaluative feedback. An important part of this process is the strengthening of your own self-evaluation skills—learning the process of critical, non-defensive scrutiny of your own performance. It is anticipated that students will devote the equivalent of a minimum of twelve hours per week for the fifteen-week term on average to this course; that is a total of 180 hours.
  
  Should the course requirements or grading practices appear unclear or inconsistent, it is your right and responsibility to seek clarification from the instructor.

Textbooks and Readings

Note that you require a "clean" new copy of Rath & Conchie as it will have a code to enable you to undertake an on-line assessment. A used or library copy will likely not work; some students have even found that copies in physical bookstores have had the codes removed.

Required Textbooks:

• Bennis, W. & Goldsmith, J. (2003). Learning to lead: A workbook on becoming a leader (3rd ed.). Basic Books. Available through Amazon: 0738209058.

• Chemers, M. M. (1997). An Integrative Theory of Leadership. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Available through Amazon: 0805826793.

• Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z. (2007). The Leadership Challenge (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass. Available through Amazon: 0787984914.

• Rath, T. & Conchie, B. (2009). Strengths-based leadership: Great leaders, teams, and why people follow. Gallup Press. Available through Amazon: 1595620257.

Recommended Textbooks:

• Bennis, W. (2009). On becoming a leader (4th ed.). Addison-Wesley. Available through Amazon: 0465014089.

• Buckingham, M. (2005). The one thing you need to know about great managing, great leading, and sustained individual success. The Free Press. Available through Amazon: 0743261658.

• Cannella, A., Hambrick, D. C. & Finkelstein, S. (2008). Strategic leadership: Theory and research on executives, top management teams, and boards. Oxford University Press. Available through Amazon: 0195162072.

• DePree, M. (1992). Leadership jazz. Dell. Available through Amazon: 0385420188.

• Evans, G. E. & Ward, P. L. (2007). Leadership basics for librarians and information professionals. Scarecrow Press. Available through Amazon: 0810852292.

• Gardner, J. (1993). On leadership. The Free Press. Available through Amazon: 0029113121.

• Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. & McKee, A. (2002). Primal leadership: Realizing the power of emotional intelligence. Harvard Business School Press. Available through Amazon: 157851486X.

• Harvard Business School Press. (1998). Harvard Business Review on leadership. Harvard Business School Press. Available through Amazon: 0875848834.

• Hernon, P., Powell, R. R. & Young, A. P. (2003). The next library leadership: Attributes of academic and public library directors. Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 1563089920.

• Maxwell, J. (1993). Developing the leader within you. Nelson. Available through Amazon: 0785281126.

• Mech, T. F. & McCabe, G. B. (Eds.). (1998). Leadership and academic librarians. Greenwood. Available through Amazon: 0300060734.

• Owen, H. (1994). In search of leaders. John Wiley & Sons. Available through Amazon: 0471491977.

• Pearman, R. (1998). Hardwired leadership: Unleashing the power of personality to become a new millennium leader. Davies-Black. Available through Amazon: 0891061169.

• Sheldon, B. E. (1991). Leaders in libraries: Styles and strategies for success. ALA. Available through Amazon: 0838905633.

• Stueart, R. D. & Sullivan, M. (2010). Developing Library Leaders. Neal-Shuman. Available through Amazon: 1555707254.

• Winston, M. (Ed.). (2001). Leadership in the Library and Information Science professions: Theory and practice. Haworth. Available through Amazon: 0789014157.

Grading Scale

The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:

In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:

• C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
• B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work;
  For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA) — INFO 200, INFO 202, INFO 204 — the iSchool requires that students earn a B in the course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation.  You must repeat the class the following semester. If -on the second attempt- you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified.
  
• A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.

Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

University Policies

General Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities of the Student

As members of the academic community, students accept both the rights and responsibilities incumbent upon all members of the institution. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with SJSU's policies and practices pertaining to the procedures to follow if and when questions or concerns about a class arises. See University Policy S90-5 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S90-5.pdf. More detailed information on a variety of related topics is available in the SJSU catalog at http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/LIS.html. In general, it is recommended that students begin by seeking clarification or discussing concerns with their instructor. If such conversation is not possible, or if it does not serve to address the issue, it is recommended that the student contact the Department Chair as a next step.

Dropping and Adding

Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop, grade forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester's Catalog Policies section at http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html. Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current academic year calendars document on the Academic Calendars webpage at http://www.sjsu.edu/provost/services/academic_calendars/. The Late Drop Policy is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes.

Information about the latest changes and news is available at the Advising Hub at http://www.sjsu.edu/advising/.

Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material

University Policy S12-7, http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-7.pdf, requires students to obtain instructor's permission to record the course and the following items to be included in the syllabus:

• "Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone when you are recording him/her. You must obtain the instructor's permission to make audio or video recordings in this class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material."
  • It is suggested that the syllabus include the instructor's process for granting permission, whether in writing or orally and whether for the whole semester or on a class by class basis.
  • In classes where active participation of students or guests may be on the recording, permission of those students or guests should be obtained as well.
• "Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and cannot be shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not publicly share or upload instructor generated material for this course such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor consent."

Academic integrity

Your commitment, as a student, to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University. The University Academic Integrity Policy F15-7 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/F15-7.pdf requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/.

Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 at http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/directives/PD_1997-03.pdf requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Accessible Education Center (AEC) at http://www.sjsu.edu/aec to establish a record of their disability.

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